


omission

by wisewolf



Series: finding home [3]
Category: Mean Girls - Richmond/Benjamin/Fey
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Established Relationship, F/F, set in the same universe as, this is the argument that janis references in that, winter chill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:01:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25435852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wisewolf/pseuds/wisewolf
Summary: She must be silent for too long, her lips pursed in thought, because Janis gives another bitter laugh as she throws her hands up into the air, obviously pissed. “I can’t believe you lied to me.”“I didn’t lie to you; I didn’t say anything!” Regina defends. She can feel her heartbeat picking up as her own anger starts to rise, indignance at the fact that-“Lying by omission is still fucking lying, Regina!” Janis snaps, running a hand through her hair and then roughly rubbing and scratching at the side of her neck. She makes an enraged noise in the back of her throat and slams her palms into the counter. “Why the fuck did you think it was okay to go behind my back like that?”“I was just trying to help you!”(or, the one with the argument)
Relationships: Regina George/Janis Sarkisian
Series: finding home [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1842352
Comments: 23
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> so this was a request from someone on tumblr so just for future reference feel free to request things from me! i might end up writing you a fic ;)
> 
> like the tags say, this is in the same universe as my fic winter chill, so if you haven't... read that too i guess lmao there isn't really an order but they're both good, i promise

The first indication that something is wrong is the lack of immediate greeting as soon as the door is shut. On any other day, Janis would get back from her internship and call out a quick “hello” regardless of her mood. She’d take a few minutes to play with Artie and hang up her work bag before seeking Regina out wherever she was in the apartment, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead no matter if she was taking a nap or studying or just watching TV.

Today, though, there’s only silence.

Regina’s brows knit together as she sets her highlighter down, listening. It’s an oppressive silence, now that she knows Janis is home and deviating from their routine. Anxiety at the change firmly settles in her gut, and she finds herself twirling the end of her braid around her finger; she’s never quite been able to kick that nervous tick.

The fridge opens, then, and Regina hears the unmistakable sound of a beer bottle being opened. She blinks a few times before steeling herself and standing up from her desk, walking out into the living room with worry shining in her eyes. It’s not normal for Janis to drink in the middle of the week-- especially something like beer-- and every slight difference, every misstep in their choreographed dance makes her feel just that much more off kilter.

Janis is standing in the kitchen, leaning over the bar with the beer bottle cupped in her hands. Her shoulders are tense and high, and when Regina finally enters her field of vision, she looks up. She remains silent, watching, waiting for something.

“Hey, baby,” Regina says, a questioning uptick coloring her words. She tries not to let her nerves show, especially when Janis gives her an unamused, deadpan stare; her eyes are cold, anger tightening the edges. Her throat bobs when she swallows. “How was work?”

“Work was fine,” Janis replies, taking a swig of her beer. She grimaces at the taste as she sets it down, but now she’s started it she’s gonna finish it. That’s always been something to admire about Janis: her tenacity, her ability to finish things, even things she doesn’t start herself. “But…” she trails off, and Regina feels her chest tighten a little. “Ben said something really interesting today.”

Regina crosses her arms and clears her throat, shifting her weight from side to side. It feels like there are miles between them when it’s only a few feet and a bar, really. “And what was that?”

“Y’know, we were just chilling, waiting the rest of the day out because we’d finished our work, and then he leaned back in his chair, and he said, ‘I’m really glad that Darren pushed me to hire you.” Janis pauses for a moment, letting her words sink in. She swallows and then lets out a disbelieving laugh, shaking her head. “And I asked him… I was like, ‘Darren? Darren who?”

“Janis-” Regina tries to interject, but Janis forges ahead, one hand clenched around the lip of the bar while the other gesticulates with her beer bottle:

“Imagine my fucking surprise when Ben tells me that Darren fucking George, your  _ uncle, _ encouraged him to hire me.” Janis takes another gulp and sets the bottle down with enough force to make Regina flinch. She plants both hands on the countertop and leans her hips against it, glaring at Regina. “When were you gonna tell me?”

It’s an impossible question, because Regina was planning to never tell her. She didn’t think it was important  _ how _ Janis got her internship, as long as she got it, and clearly Ben was happy about it too. To her, it all made sense. Janis would get hired on to work with the New York Times as an intern, then she’d get hired on as a junior reporter, and then she’d have her dream job.

She must be silent for too long, her lips pursed in thought, because Janis gives another bitter laugh as she throws her hands up into the air, obviously pissed. “I can’t believe you lied to me.”

“I didn’t lie to you; I didn’t say anything!” Regina defends. She can feel her heartbeat picking up as her own anger starts to rise, indignance at the fact that-

“Lying by omission is still fucking lying, Regina!” Janis snaps, running a hand through her hair and then roughly rubbing and scratching at the side of her neck. She makes an enraged noise in the back of her throat and slams her palms into the counter. “Why the fuck did you think it was okay to go behind my back like that?”

“I was just trying to help you!”

“I don’t need your fucking help!” Janis yells. Her words are saturated with venom, so normal to find in her journal, or on scrap pieces of paper, or even the newspaper, but never directed at her girlfriend. “I’ve never, and  _ will _ never,  _ ever _ need your fucking help, Regina George!” She exhales loudly and rubs over her forehead, her hand running into her hair to grip it tightly.

Regina feels like a bucket of ice water has been thrown over her, a freezing cold hand gripping her throat tight enough that she can’t hardly get air into her lungs. Her hands clench into fists where they’re tucked into her elbows and she clenches her jaw, blinking against her tears.

“Are you done?” she croaks.

“Oh, do you have something to say for yourself?” Janis sneers. “I suppose I can give the defense a turn to argue, since that’s what you’re probably more fucking comfortable with instead of engaging with your real feelings.”

“God, do you ever shut up?” Regina hisses, taking a step forward. “Or do you just like to hear yourself talk, because I feel like you’ve done a lot of that and not a lot of listening to me when I try to  _ explain- _ ”

“What is there to fucking explain, Regina?” Janis leans forward over the bar, gripping the edge of it. “There’s no if, ands, or buts about the fact that you  _ lied _ to me.”

She wants to scream, she wants to yell and kick and scream until Janis understands, but deep down she knows that her anger is valid, even if the way she’s expressing it hurts and is wrong. “I knew that you really wanted the internship with the Times,” she says lowly, trying to keep her voice even. “That they were your goal. I knew that if you didn’t get it you’d be heartbroken.”

“So you-?”

“Jesus, would you let me talk for one second?” Regina flexes her fingers and glances away to collect herself. “I just wanted you to be  _ happy, _ Janis!” she says, smiling despite the fact that the tears are spilling over now. She hurriedly wipes them away, sniffling. “All I wanted was for you to be happy, and if Uncle Darren could pull strings to get you the job…”

Janis inhales and exhales loudly, resting her elbows on the bar and her forehead against her forearms. “Jesus Christ.”

“I’m sorry if I hurt you,” Regina says sincerely, brokenly. She takes another step forward, now at the edge of the bar. “I really am, Janis, but I won’t apologize for doing what I thought was best at the time.”

There’s a long silence where they both hold their positions, the only sound being Janis’ labored breathing, Regina’s sniffling, and the meowing of a confused Artie.

Finally, Janis lifts her head to look directly at Regina, and she’s crying now too. Her eyes are red rimmed and bloodshot, still angry. “Do you know how awful it felt to realize that I didn’t get my internship based on how good I was? That I got it because my girlfriend pulled some strings and threw some weight around?”

Regina stares back at her, stoic.

Janis just laughs again, shaking her head. “Of course you don’t, Silver Spoon.” It’s one last dig, a parting jab that hits Regina where it hurts. She pushes off of the counter and clears her throat, sniffing loudly. “I’m gonna go stay with Dame for a bit. I don’t know when I’ll be back.” Her eyes dart around the kitchen she’s in, the apartment as a whole, before settling back on Regina. “Take care of Artie while I’m gone.”

Regina doesn’t move from her spot as Janis collects a few of her things-- namely clothes, her work bag, and some toiletries-- and says a short goodbye to their cat. She doesn’t raise her gaze from the counter as the front door opens and closes, taking Janis with it.

Only after exactly three minutes and twenty two seconds does she recognize that Janis isn’t coming back, at least not soon.

She leans against the bar and sobs.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina thinks the first night alone is gonna be the hardest, left alone to stew in her thoughts as she tosses and turns.
> 
> The first night is actually the easiest, in retrospect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehehehehello friends i return a few days later with the finale of this two shot. i'd like to thank the academy, sab for betaing, the commentors, the kudos-ers(?), and ofc the lovely anon who requested i write rejanis' first fight. this is for y'all
> 
> enjoy

Regina thinks that the first night alone is gonna be the hardest, left alone to stew in her thoughts as she tosses and turns. She buries her face in Janis’ pillow and pulls the blanket higher against her chin, her eyes only dry because she hasn’t had any water. A headache pounds behind her eyes, but she lets the pain come, because it’s what she deserves. She failed, and that’s the long and short of it; she failed to be a good girlfriend, to recognize and consider how Janis might react to her pulling strings.

The first night is actually the easiest, in retrospect.

Waking up to her alarm the next morning, after a night of restless shifting and twitching, Regina considers skipping her classes for the day. She’s exhausted, dizzy, and sick to her stomach with guilt. When she tries to swallow, to wet her mouth, she finds no moisture.

_You’re dehydrated,_ her body tells her, but she doesn’t want to drink water. She wants to stay in bed, block out the November cold with the blanket that Janis gave her for Christmas last year after complaining about the chill one too many times. More than anything, really, she wants her girlfriend back, but as she shuffles out of bed and into the shower and sees that Janis took her shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, she thinks maybe it’ll be a long while before she sees her again.

It makes her want to cry all over again, but she’s still dehydrated, so she just lets too hot water scald her skin red as she scrubs rigorously over her body with her little, pink loofah.

She’s pink and raw by the end of it, but that’s how her heart feels: raw.

Going to class is a slog, it always is, but it’s only made worse by the fact that Regina knows going home isn’t going to provide any solace. Going home is only going to make her more sad, more guilty. She’ll see all the little things that remind her of Janis, and then she’ll remember _oh, and it’s my fault that she’s gone now._

Thursday and Friday pass in a haze. She follows her meticulously put together schedule, studying her color coded notes and annotating her assigned readings for hours upon hours. She feeds Artie in the morning and evening, making sure to play with him between assignments so he doesn’t get bored and lonely. She tries to pretend like everything will just blow over, like every petty argument they’ve had before, even if deep down she knows this is more than just their argument.

It’s their conflicting ideals coming to light.

*******

Saturday morning she breaks and calls Damian.

It rings five times, and she’s about to give up, but then the receiver clicks and-

_“Hello, Regina.”_

She doesn’t even know what to say, sitting cross legged in the middle of the bed with Artie in her lap begging for attention, tears slipping down her cheeks. Her mouth opens and closes a few times, and Damian is silent. She can hear wind on his end and figures he must’ve stepped out on his balcony.

“Is she okay?” she finally asks, sniffling.

_“I’m sure you know she’s pissed,”_ Damian replies smoothly. He doesn’t sound angry, just disappointed. _“She’s thinking of quitting.”_

Her stomach drops, and she bites her lip against the shocked noise that tries to escape her. It’s like everything is falling apart, now, and she’s slipping, and the knot of guilt grows larger.

“And what do you think about this?” Regina whispers. She can’t bear to speak any louder, her throat clogged with emotion. It burns, tight with a barely repressed sob. “Do you think that I- that I did something wrong?”

Damian takes a deep breath and exhales loudly, and she hears something creak as he presumably sits down in the lawn chair they’d long ago dragged onto his balcony. _“I understand both sides,”_ he says slowly. _“I understand that you probably just wanted to help her achieve her dreams, right?”_

“Right.” She nods, despite the fact that he can’t see her.

_“What you did wasn’t okay, but you already know that.”_ Another deep inhale. _“What you also probably know, but didn’t think about, is how she would feel knowing that she didn’t get the internship based on merit like she originally thought.”_ He gives her a few seconds to let his words sink in, and her eyes close as they do. _“You and I both know how fickle Janis’ self-esteem is, even after so long.”_

Regina doesn’t know what to say to Damian after that, so she just whispers, “I want her back.” She sniffles and looks down at Artie, scratching behind his ears and just listening to his purr, feeling it against her legs. “I miss her so much.”

_“You really hurt her. Give her time.”_

The call disconnects without another word.

*******

Sunday morning comes and goes in a blur, Regina doing her usual routine before settling on the couch with some episodes of Merlin. She still feels the heavy guilt in her body, dragging her lower, but she’s crying less as the days pass. Artie certainly helps keep her spirits up, meowing to remind her that he requires attention, and that Janis explicitly told her to take care of him while she was gone.

Around 1pm, several episodes into her rewatch, the front door unlocks and opens. She turns her head quick and blinks when Artie leaps out of her lap and meows, trotting up to a surprised Janis holding the bag she’d left with, in the same clothes she’d left in. Her jaw clenches when their eyes meet, and she looks like she wants to turn around, but she just kicks the door shut and leans down to give Artie the pets he’s desperately trying to get from her.

“I didn’t expect you back so soon,” Regina says, not quite kindly, but definitely shocked.

“Can’t go into work in the same outfits; Ben would notice,” Janis replies shortly, walking through the living room to their bedroom. The sound of shuffling spurs Regina into action, and she gets off of the couch and stands in the doorway, watching Janis rifle through her drawers. When she senses eyes on her, she looks up with an irritated glare. “Do you need something, Regina?”

“I thought you might’ve quit.” She doesn’t want to bring up apologies just yet, needing to test the waters to see if Janis is even ready for her to say she’s sorry. She shifts her weight from foot to foot, grimacing a little as her back twinges. The cold has done her no favors, and without Janis taking care of her, it almost feels worse than ever. “Was worried.”

Janis scoffs and grabs a few button ups from the closet, folding them neatly and putting them in her bag. “Scared I’d screw up your handiwork?” She shakes her head. “I’ll admit, I thought about it, but I figured I’m already there, might as well stick around. Maybe they’ll see I’m worth something beyond being Regina George’s girlfriend and decide to keep me on.”

“Stop that,” Regina says sharply.

“Stop what?”

“Don’t just…” She waves her hand in the air, searching for the right words. “Don’t reduce yourself to that. You’re so much more than just my girlfriend.”

She shrugs and huffs out a laugh, crossing her arms in a mimic of Regina’s defensive posture. “But that’s what I am, right? I’m Regina George’s girlfriend first, Janis Sarkisian second.” The step forward is almost threatening, and the anger on her face _almost_ makes Regina take a step back. “I’ll get farther in life throwing your name around than my own, as clearly shown by the fact that I got the job with the Times not by my own _skill,_ but because my fucking girlfriend _,_ _Regina George,_ called in a favor.”

When it looks like Janis might just shove past her with her newly filled bag, Regina grabs her shoulder and blurts out, “Janis, I’m sorry!”

Janis pauses, eyes closing and jaw flexing as she fights to compose herself. When she opens her eyes, she blinks a few times, but waits.

“All I wanted was for you to be happy,” Regina whispers brokenly. “And I- I didn’t think about how you’d feel if I went ahead and did this, which was shitty, and I should’ve been a better girlfriend and _known_ how you would’ve reacted… you always say it doesn’t matter the intent, it’s the way it’s perceived, and I… I’m sorry that I hurt you by going behind your back and pulling strings to get you a job, rather than letting you get it because of your own brilliance.”

There’s a pregnant pause as Janis seems to mull over the apology, lips pursed. She pushes past Regina, and the blonde has to put a hand over her mouth to hold back a sob of disappointment, but then Janis is grabbing her other hand and leading her over to the couch. When she sees Regina’s tearful, questioning gaze, she just gestures for her to sit.

“I saw you wince. Your back hurts, so lay down,” Janis says, all of the fight in her voice from earlier disappearing.

Regina shuffles awkwardly as Janis sits where she’d been earlier, patting her lap invitingly like they aren’t in the middle of a round of apologies or another fight. She does as is implicitly asked of her, laying down on the couch with her head in Janis’ lap, the familiar weight of a calloused hand settling on her head.

“I’m still mad,” she says, breaking the few moments of silence she gave Regina to get comfortable. “I’m mad that you did this without asking me, or considering how I’d feel. You also lied to me, and… and we promised we weren’t gonna lie to each other like our parents did.” That reminder makes Regina wince, and more apologies start to bubble out of her, but Janis just shushes her. “You just wanted me to be happy, and that’s… really fucking great to hear, but you can’t just solve every problem-- that might not even be a problem, if you just wait-- by throwing weight around.”

“I get that…” Regina laughs humorlessly. “Might be a little late, now, but I get it.”

They’re both quiet, just letting each other think over what they both said. Janis looks down at Regina, threading her fingers through loose, blonde curls, trying to imagine what life would be like without the woman in her lap.

There’s still something she has to do.

“I’m sorry,” Janis says, startling Regina out of her stupor.

“I’m the one who fucked up, why’re you apologizing?”

“Because I was mean.” Janis cradles the back of her head gently, scratching at the sensitive nape of her neck, smiling a little when Regina’s eyelids flutter. Her smile drops as she continues talking, “I- I shouldn’t have- have taunted you, or insulted you, or… or said I never needed your help.”

Regina sighs heavily through her nose, staring up at Janis. “You were angry.”

“Doesn’t give me an excuse,” Janis replies. “I do need your help… Most days I just need _you._ When I was at Dame’s, I woke up and I realized that even though I was pissed as all hell at you, I already missed you. I missed holding you at night, and making breakfast with you in the morning.”

“I forgive you,” Regina says sincerely.

“I’m not quite there yet,” Janis whispers. “But I’m… I’m gonna come home, if that’s alright with you.” She gives a dry laugh, her lips curling into a grin. “Maybe you can find some way to make it up to me.”

The last of Regina’s guilt melts away at the way Janis’ eyes sparkle at her own joke, and she reaches up and pulls her girlfriend down into an awkwardly angled kiss, but a sweet kiss nonetheless.

“No more lies?” Janis mumbles as she pulls away.

“What about if I want to throw you a surprise birthday party?” Regina pouts.

Janis snorts and kisses it away. “No more lying about big things like my job, or your job… or Artie.”

Almost as though he was summoned, Artie meows and jumps directly onto Regina’s stomach, eliciting an “oof!” of surprise from the blonde. He purrs as he gets up between them, nuzzling against Janis as though to say that he missed her too.

“Your mom’s been taking care of you while I was gone, right?” Janis asks seriously, smoothing his ears back before watching them spring up again.

Artie meows and jumps up onto Janis’ shoulders, laying down there.

“He doesn’t want you to leave again,” Regina says wisely.

“Well, I don’t think I wanna leave again either.” Janis grins down at her and strokes a thumb tenderly over her cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Jay.”

**Author's Note:**

> so how did that feel y'all ;)? felt like a punch in the gut to write.
> 
> anyways, interact with me! i love kudos and comments, they inspire me to write, and also if you haven't you can check out my tumblr for just a little bit more of me than you get here @kingwisewolf (i promise, i'm fabulous)


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